The Berkeley MBA – Online Admissions Chat
February 27, 2009
Chat with Current Haas MBA Students
Hetu Patel, MBA Class of 2010
Saumil Shah, MBA Class of 2010
Katie Andre, Moderator
Katie_Moderator
Welcome to the Berkeley MBA Student chat. My name is Katie and I will be moderating the chat today. I would like to introduce Hetu Patel, a 1st year MBA student, and Saumil Shah, a 1st year MBA student. Please send us your questions!
Saumil MBA10
Hello! My name is Saumil Shah and I'm a first year student at Haas. I grew up in Holmdel, NJ about an hour away from New York City and later moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina for school. While there, I studied Political Science and Business Administration. Afterwards, I moved to Atlanta, GA where I worked in Deloitte Consulting's Strategy and Operations practice. My interests at Haas are related to education and entrepreneurship!
Hetu MBA10
Hi, this is Hetu. I am a first year MBA. Prior to Haas I lived in Columbus, OH for 8 years. Four years studying at Ohio State and another four working for an instruments company - Mettler Toledo. At Mettler, I worked in the corporate supply chain group. At Haas, I am involved in activities around consulting and technology.
Kaustav Basu
I have applied to Haas but haven't heard back for an interview yet. I visited the campus, and totally loved it. Haas is my first priority. Do you have any suggestions as to how I could at least secure an interview - a chance to prove myself and my strong desire to be a Haas student?
Saumil MBA10
Hi Kaustav, as you may know, we interview by invitation only. I should also mention that invitations are sent out all the way up through the deadline, and are sent in no particular order. If there is a major change in your status (e.g., you received a promotion, significantly improved your GMAT, etc.) please do let us know. Good luck!
milos
Students can you tell are your expectancies fulfilled on Berkeley?
Hetu MBA10
Milos, definitely it has. I was expecting a vibrant student body and plenty of opportunities beyond class to engage myself in to compliment my business education. I have had opportunities to engage in student run consulting group, organize Asia Business Conference, participate in case competitions, etc. Besides that, I have been very impressed by the faculty and how accessible they are. Our project based course, IBD, has far exceeded my expectation.
annie
What resources exist at Haas for students who are interested in learning more about corporate responsibility?
Hetu MBA10
Annie, the center for Responsible Business at Haas is a great resource. Some of the opportunities it provides are around Strategic CSR and consulting projects, Haas Socially Responsible Investment Fund, Global Social Venture Competition, etc. You can learn more about the center at: http://www.haas.berkeley.edu/responsiblebusiness/.
Matt
Hi, Saumil, my name is Matt from Arlington, VA, I'm wondering what the best resources concerning entrepreneurship you've found at Berkeley have been?
Saumil MBA10
Hi Matt, if your interests are related to entrepreneurship, Haas is a great place to be! I would definitely check out the Lester Center website for details http://entrepreneurship.berkeley.edu/main/index.html. Specifically, there is Haas Venture Fellows, which accepts a handful of students per year to work with a local venture capital firm on a project. Another program is the Mayfield Fellows; there is also an application process here, and you must have an engineering background. Through the program they set you up with a mentor from the area, who has started several business of his or her own, and that will help you find your entrepreneurship internship for the summer. We also have an incubator, which provides you with space and funding to start your venture. And of course there's a great entrepreneurship curriculum. These are just a few of the many examples and I would encourage you to email hsa@haas.berkeley.edu with any more specific questions!
jaya
Are candidates with less than 2 years work experience accepted?
Katie_Moderator
Hi Jaya, while we have no minimum requirement for years of work experience, competitive applicants normally have at least 2 years of full-time, professional, post-degree work experience.
Neha
Is the Super Saturday/Interview process at Haas any different for MBA/MPH applicants than it is for MBA applicants?
Hetu MBA10
Neha, the application for MBA/MPH is a common one through the Haas School of Business. There is a single interview for admissions – by invitation only.
Neha
Hi! I wanted some information about Haas interviews - who conducts them on campus (2nd year students or Ad Com)? Are they blind interviews (has the interviewer seen any of your application materials beforehand)? How long do they typically run?
Saumil MBA10
Hi Neha, the interviews are conducted by both Ad Com members as well as students (both first year and second year). Everyone has been trained to interview, so you will have a consistent experience no matter who conducts the interview. The interviewer will typically have seen your resume, but not your essays. They run about 45 minutes. Thanks for your question!
annie
Hetu, can you tell us more about your experience with IBD?
Hetu MBA10
Annie, I am taking the IBD course this semester. This course is offered during the spring semester where we work with clients from all over the world (typically developing countries) in teams of about 4 students. At the end of the semester each team travel to the client's country for 3 weeks to complete the project. After the summer, teams put together the final report for their projects. My team, for example, is working on developing supply chain for organic cotton in Madagascar. This is a fantastic experience both in terms of a practical consulting project and international exposure.
lily
What resources are available to students looking to change careers?
Saumil MBA10
Hi Lily, great question! You're definitely not alone--I'm a career switcher myself, so hopefully I can provide some insight. First, career services does an excellent job of providing the necessary tools to make the switch. This includes everything from the traditional services (like customizing your resume and cover letter to the industry) to things like brown bag lunches, where experts help you learn about the various industries. They also provide second-year career coaches who have worked in the industry to which you'd like to transition. If you'd like to talk to some career switchers and get even more details, shoot us an email at hsa@haas.berkeley.edu and we'll set you up!
Are there any exciting/innovative changes being introduced in the MBA or MPH programs this year or planned in the next 1-3 years? (Curriculum, structure, opportunities, faculty, etc.)
Saumil MBA10
Hi Neha, there are always great things happening with the MBA program here at Haas! Unfortunately, I'm not involved with the MPH program, but definitely send an email to hsa@haas.berkeley.edu as we have an MPHer that can answer more specific questions. As to the MBA program, Dean Lyons has talked to us about hiring additional faculty and expanding the course offerings (while maintaining our small class size). Additionally, we are trying to expand our International Business Development (IBD) and Haas@Work programs, both of which are great experiential learning opportunities. One of the coolest things about Haas is that it is extremely student-driven. If you want to see changes, you have the ability to make them!
matt c
What is the best way to get in touch with current students to ask them about their experiences with the various on-campus clubs and organizations?
Katie_Moderator
Hi matt, information about the Haas Student Ambassadors can be found here http://mba.haas.berkeley.edu/admissons/hsateam.html. Feel free to email them or call them - they're a great resource for information about the MBA student experience.
Neha
Given the current turbulent economic crisis conditions, there's probably a drop in internship/full time offers on campus and number of recruiters visiting campus. What additional steps are the campus career services proactively taking this year to mitigate this issue and support students during the full-time/internship hunt?
Hetu MBA10
Neha, good question. Certainly, economic times are tougher. We are little more than midway through the internship recruiting cycle. This year, the number of employers hiring has not declined that significantly, however number of offers made by each employer appears slightly lower (although official numbers are not yet out). Many employers are pushing back their internship hiring decisions. In terms of resources from Career Services, they have expanded their preparation offerings for students (workshops, advising sessions, etc.). Additionally, alumni have been forthcoming with job postings at Haas.
matt c
How can I find out more information about the MOT program?
Katie_Moderator
Hi Matt, You can visit the MOT website to get information about the courses, faculty, and events. http://mot.berkeley.edu/
lily
How important do you feel your quant skills have been to your success in the MBA program?
Saumil MBA10
Hi Lily, quantitative skills are key in performing well in business school as the academic program is quite rigorous. We do expect candidates to be strong in this area. However, if you don't have a strong business background specifically, don't fret! We provide a quantitative "summer camp" prior to the school year to brush up on your basic accounting, finance, and general quantitative skills. Also, your classmates and study group will come from a wide variety of backgrounds—my study group was made up of someone who worked in Venezuelan Aerospace, an investment banker who turned marketer at Google, a former non-profit education professional, and an engineer at Degenkolb in San Francisco. These people will help you succeed!
lily
What surprised you most when you started at Haas?
Hetu MBA10
Lily, what surprised me when I joined Haas was the numerous opportunities that I wanted to get involved in, but was limited by time. One definitely needs to prioritize and choose the activities that will benefit you most and those that you can add maximum value to.
Umaphuyu
Hello, thanks for answering our questions. I was wondering for the current students, if they knew what they were going to specialize before getting into the school. Especially in the case when you have a science background, how can you know which path of specialization will take you there in business if you are not exposed through it in your day to day work? Did what you ended up specializing change radically from what you thought you were going to do? Thanks in advance!
Saumil MBA10
Hi Umaphuyu, when I applied to school, I was certain that I was going to go work in energy—that has definitely changed! I'm now looking at education and entrepreneurship. I think it's important to have an idea of what you'd like to do before applying so that it will give you something to focus on (at least in the beginning) because there are just so many opportunities and you can't pursue them all. At the same time, be open to exploring all that business school has to offer. Thanks!
JJ Rassier
Adding to Neha's question, Will there be any changes to the MBA program specifically designed to adjust to our economic condition in the US...? Thank you.
Hetu MBA10
JJ, Haas has quickly adapted the education and activities to include events of the changing economic times. The faculty for core classes uses the concepts of the course as a lens to look at the economy which provides valuable perspective. Additionally, during the fall semester we had 4 short notice speaker series organized by the Dean where thought leaders from the industry came in and shared their explanation on how economy was being affected.
Michael
Are any of you planning on starting a business right out of the MBA program or do you plan on working for someone else? Do you feel like the program prepares you to be an entrepreneur?
Saumil MBA10
Hi Michael, again, I think it's a great place to be if you want to be an entrepreneur. Check out the Lester Center website for details (http://entrepreneurship.berkeley.edu/main/index.html). I'm currently in the core entrepreneurship class, where we have 4-5 instructors every session who are serial entrepreneurs. They help us develop our business plans and refine our pitches. In addition, after each case discussion, the founders of the various businesses come to class and take questions and provide their lessons learned. Some of the recent attendees include the founders of Google Earth (Keyhole), Travelocity, Triperati, Mypoints, etc. I was also involved in an entrepreneurship speaker series which had speakers like Ram Shriram (of Sherpalo) and Shai Aggasi (of Better Place). Silicon Valley's a great place to be if this is your interest!
JJ Rassier
Can you provide any examples of recent student-led A) non-for profit start ups, or B) social entrepreneurial start ups? Thank you.
Saumil MBA10
Just a few recent examples include World of Good and Revolution Foods. You can find some more organizations at http://entrepreneurship.berkeley.edu/successful_entrepreneurs/lester_alumni.html Please email us at hsa@haas.berkeley.edu if you'd like additional details. Thanks!
Neha
Thank you for all the great answers to my questions so far! Your responses are very helpful. What from your current student perspective really sets Haas apart from the other top MBA schools?
Saumil MBA10
Hi Neha, you're very welcome. For me, there are few factors. First, the people! I know it sounds cliché, but this is the most accomplished set of people that I have ever had the pleasure to spend time with—not only in an academic context, but also outside of it. The class size of only 240, likely the smallest of the top 10 schools, provides you with the opportunity to get to know ALL of your classmates. I also love the Bay Area. If you like outdoor activities, wine, and good weather, I'm sure you'll love it too! In additional its location gives you access to the tremendous resources in Silicon Valley and many alternative career opportunities.
Hetu MBA10
Thanks everyone for great questions. Goodbye.
Saumil MBA10
Thanks to everyone for the great questions! I hope you found some of my answers useful. Best of luck!
